The Ethics Of Physical Contact Sports

One of the most pressing issues within physical contact sports is the amount of Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) sustained by the players on both professional and amateur levels. This particular topic has been debated over numerous times, arguing whether or not there should be more safety regulations within these particular sports. Many people suggest that adding more regulations will impact the sports taking away from their original entertainment. However, one can clearly see the endangerment these athletes face with long term brain trauma, and how certain steps should be enforced in order to avoid this.

The most common and well known TBI is a concussion, which is usually an outcome of a direct hit to the cranial exterior resulting in short term headaches, memory loss, and basic motor function. Micah Issitt states in his article Responsible Solutions to Concussion-Related Injuries that “Some sports-medicine experts estimate that more than 85 percent of mild concussions are undiagnosed.”. This statement goes to show how concussions in sports are overlooked in the majority of cases. Without being diagnosed the athletes with these concussions have a higher chance to attain more in the future, leading to long term brain trauma and illnesses. Issitt also mentions how twenty percent of athletes who previously had a concussion are more likely to have injury repeated, and how each recurring concussion has “an increased risk of suffering additional complications after their first concussion.” The severity of this problem can be illustrated the four thousand athletes that took legal suits against the National Football League (NFL), and the $870 million settlement they received for letting the players continue to play after experiencing a con...

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...abilitation, in which Dr. Randall Benson studies show how “Many manufacturers have attempted to create safer equipment, especially helmets, to prevent concussions. Unfortunately, no protective equipment has been shown to reduce concussion risk at this point” (Doral, Karlsson 2711). Other solutions such as extreme penalties for head to head contact or stopping a play when one of the athlete’s helmets come off are great example of simple ways to prevent major brain injuries.

Therefore, in sports that require physical contact there should be more safety regulations due to the amount of brain damage it causes. Topic One: What leads to sport concussions and how it happens. Topic Two: The long term consequences of sport related concussions. Topic Three: Solutions to help sports concussions. Conclusion: Close by restating the topics and thesis, but add emotion to the end.